Residents feared for the safety of their animals after a scrub fire near Brighton flared up when the wind changed yesterday.
Firefighters were called to the fire - understood to be a controlled burn - in Highland Rd, about 20km from central Dunedin, just after 11am.
Resident Penny Muir said a wind change whipped the blaze up.
"It changed direction and that's when it kicked off,'' she said.
Another resident said she rushed home from work in Dunedin when she heard about the blaze to check on her animals.
"It's far too close to home,'' she said.
"Everything is so dry here. It's been dry for ages.
"I'm surprised they are giving any permits.''
Her animals were safe and firefighters brought the blaze under control in the early afternoon.
Otago Rural Fire Authority deputy principal rural fire officer Jamie Cowan said 20 firefighters - from Lookout Point, St Kilda, Roslyn and the rural fire authority - and three helicopters were involved in fighting the blaze.
He was unaware of how it started.
By about 4pm, it remained an active fire but was under control.
No property was threatened by the blaze, he said.
